Windscreen self fix ?

[OilSheikh]

Ay up me hearties!

So, bought my first car after my years of not having the need for one finally came to an end.
Ford Focus Ghia 2001 1.6 Automatic 56k miles USED

Dealer was asking for £1700 and it has two issues - paint has rusted/ scraped off the edge of one of the doors for an inch. There is a 6inch crack on the windscreen on the driver side just below the steering wheel.

So, I negotiated with the dealer and got him to do my paint job for Free, got him to give me 3 months warranty, road tax till end of 2015, 1 year of AA recovery, the car already has MOT till May 2015 BUT I said I would repair the windscreen myself. So, bought the car for £1400

Now, I decided to gor 3rd party TPT as it was the cheapest but this does not cover windscreen repair. I have seen some youtube videos on how to use resin, UV sheets and UV lamp to fix cracks. Has anyone tried this sort of DIY repair ?

And, can the cops stop and fine me ?

[peterb]

A crap can propagate and I'm not sure a diy repair on a crack would be that good. Stone chips can be repaired with resin, but its a bit of a faff.

Depending on how far the crack has developed, is cause for failing an MoT and if stopped you could get a notice to repair - not sure about a specific offence. However it is probably cause enough for them to stop you and give the car a once over.

It might be worth taking it to one of the specialist glass repairers for an opinion. A windscreen is not something you want failing going down the motorway. Why wouldn't the dealer fix it prior to the sale?

[kalniel]

Dealer was asking for £1700 and it has two issues - paint has rusted/ scraped off the edge of one of the doors for an inch. There is a 6inch crack on the windscreen on the driver side just below the steering wheel.

That's a MOT fail and as above, you might be stopped for roadworthiness. Call out autoglass and get them to replace it. Ford focus will be cheaper than many, but still a cost to bear in mind.

If rust I'd avoid too for that price. If a scratch that's not rusty, get it fixed up.

Get quotes, use that for negotiations with dealer. If you're going to have the work done yourself, make sure that they are clearly listed as known issues, so that any other unknown issues you can get the dealer to pay for.

[DanceswithUnix]

The insurance companies might get charged £300+ for a window, but I have heard of people getting a window fitted for half that. Phone around, try the mobile companies as well as the high street ones.

Just doesn't seem worth the aggro of doing the job yourself tbh.

[wasabi]

I thought you could only repair up to a 2p size crack with resin? Certainly that is all my insurance will do as a free resin job - after that they replace.

[TAKTAK]

As said, I'd ask around a few companies, by the time you've got the kit needed to do it properly, you'll not be that far off the cost anyway (especially if you engage your haggle hat)

A crap can propagate

I lol'd...

[OilSheikh]

Replaced it for £120